


you sing a sad song, just to turn it around

by foxerica (ericaismeg)



Series: Poppy Day in... [3]
Category: Poppy Day - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-19 22:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10649163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericaismeg/pseuds/foxerica
Summary: Tom + Vernon + comfort after a bad day





	you sing a sad song, just to turn it around

**_you sing a sad song, just to turn it around_ **

x x x

Tom is nodding along to the beat of the music pouring out of his head phones when he senses something has changed. He freezes, before he recognizes the scent of gas and grease. Tom spins around on his stool, away from his desk, and pops a headphone out.

“Hey Vern,” he greets, with a bright smile. Vernon doesn’t respond immediately, looking a little dazed and distant. Tom takes out his other headphone and tosses them onto the desk. He crosses his room and says, “What’s up, man?”

“I, um,” Vernon stammers. “Can I stay here for a bit?”

“Of course man,” Tom tells him instantly. He grabs Vernon’s wrist and leads him over to the bed. “C’mon, why don’t you lay down? I’ll make us some tea and we can talk if you–”

“Can we just lay down for a bit?” Vernon asks. His voice is different. There’s almost no emotion in it, but Tom can hear a sense of desperation. He’s holding it together with all of his energy. Tom nods, and Vernon crawls onto his bed. He lays down, staring up at the ceiling. He can’t even make eye contact with Tom.

“Just, um, hang on.”

Tom turns back to unplug his headphones from the jack, and he hits play on his iPhone. Music starts to fill the room, and then he puts it on airplane mode. He doesn’t need anyone interrupting them. Tom turns back to Vernon, who hasn’t moved an inch.

“Vern,” Tom whispers as he climbs onto the bed. He lays down beside him, and then attempts to wrap an arm around Vernon’s shoulders. He’s trying to be comforting, and Poppy said that the best way to comfort someone is to touch them so they know that you’re there for them.

Vernon rolls into Tom; he rests his cheek on Tom’s chest, tucks his arm across Tom’s stomach, and curls a leg over Tom’s. Tom wraps his arms around Vernon’s and strokes his skin with his thumb.

“What’s going on?”

“Bad day,” Vernon whispers. Tom’s chest aches. He hates that Vernon’s having a bad day. He wants to make all of the bad stuff disappear, he wants to hear Vernon’s laugh, wants to kiss his smile, and play–Tom swallows. _Fuck,_  he wants to kiss Vernon so badly.

He has since eighth grade and Poppy introduced them. Vernon’s gay, and that’s great. Tom isn’t sure what he is, but _fuck,_  he does wish Vernon would think of him as more than a friend. Vernon’s the kind of guy who will hook up with many people, but it never seems to be anything serious. At least, not that Tom’s seen. And he’s never shown interest in Tom that way.

Poppy had said–well, Poppy says a lot of things. She never pressured Tom to admit his feelings, his thoughts…but she had _heavily_  implied that Tom needs to talk about it with someone. The truth is that the only one Tom wants to talk about it with is Vernon. He figures that he’d understand best.

“How can I make it better?” Tom murmurs.

“You already have,” Vernon responds.

Tom swallows hard. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to think of anything else. But he can’t. All he wants to do is tilt Vernon’s head up and press his lips to his. He wants to run his hands over his body; make him feel safe, make him feel wanted and loved. Tom could make his insides feel all warm and gooey. There’s very little in life that Tom wants more than that.

The music softly playing on Tom’s iPhone fills the air around them, and he starts to hum along. He softly sings the lyrics to the song, hoping that it’ll make Vernon smile a little. His voice is a little rough, especially singing so quietly, but Vernon seems to relax.

Vernon sniffs, and Tom hugs him tighter. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

It impacts Tom more than Vernon will ever know. He’d chosen him instead of Poppy. He leans forward to nuzzle his nose on the top of Vernon’s head. “You’re always welcome here, Vern. Always.”

“Thanks for not thinking I’m weak or…weird or something.”

“For what?” Tom asks, leaning back so he can try to see Vernon’s face. Vernon pulls away to look at Tom.

“You know…cuddling me. I’m not sure most guys would be comfortable doing that. Especially with a gay guy.”

Tom pushes away from Vernon completely, sitting up so he can look down on him. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Well, just not–

“First off, _I_  pulled _you_  into me. Secondly, even if I was straight, you being gay or a guy doesn’t matter. You’re my friend, and you had a bad day. _Of course,_  I’m going to cuddle you. You had a bad day.” Tom frowns, his eyebrows coming close together.

Vernon studies him for a moment. “Wait, what did you just say?”

“You’re my friend?”

“No, before that,” Vernon answers. He sits up to face Tom. “You said, ‘ _even if I was straight_.’ Are you, um, not straight?”

Tom freezes, because he didn’t mean to say it. It had slipped right off his tongue and he hadn’t even realized. He looks away, because Vernon’s gaze is too intense right now. He sighs, rubbing his jaw. “Yeah, well, I don’t think so.”

“Wow. When did you…?” Vernon lets the question trail off.

“Um,” Tom groans. He drags his hand down his face. “Vernon, this is about you and your bad day–”

“Please, Thomas.”

Oh _fuck._  It’s so hard to deny Vernon when his voice drops like that. Tom sighs and says, “Listen, I’ve kind of had a huge crush on you for a few years. Please don’t let this make our friendship awkward–it’s just, you’re _you,_  and it’s so hard not to be crushin’ on you. It’s hard enough when you look as good as you do, but you have to be like, the world’s best person _ever,_  on top of it all too. I just–”

Vernon’s hand is suddenly on the back of Tom’s neck, and dragging him closer. When Vernon’s lips touch Tom’s, he’s dazed. He doesn’t move for a long moment, and by the time he realizes that he should be kissing Vernon back, Vern’s pulled away. “Tom. You have this funny way of making a real shitty day into a pretty damn good one.”

Tom laughs. “That’s me. Just here to please.”

“You’re much more than that,” Vernon says. “And I’ve been crushing on you since eighth grade, so. Can we just, um, lay here for a bit though? As nice as it is to have you feel the same about me…it’s well, it’s been a long day.”

“Of course.” Tom sneaks a quick kiss before they settle back down onto the bed. This time Vernon keeps his face close to Tom’s so they can periodically brush their lips or noses against the other’s.

Tom isn’t aware of when he falls asleep; only when he wakes up tangled in Vernon, does he realize that they’ve been holding hands. He smiles, yawns, and closes his eyes to sleep some more.

It’s not such a bad day anymore.

 

x x x


End file.
